Google Maps has removed the suggested route Road of Bones in Russia, after a Russian driver froze to death in -50 oC.
Google is now advising motorists who want to travel from the Russian city of Yakutsk to Magadan and vice versa, to add another three hours to their journey, following a different route, since two motorists who followed its previous advice Google Maps died on an abandoned road, at -50 Celsius.
https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1337915930240802817
After a week-long search, the body of an 18-year-old youth was found inside a snow-covered car on a disused highway near Oymyakon, the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Miraculously, his partner survived and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for frostbite. The radiator in their vehicle was malfunctioningmode.
Google Maps had previously advised drivers to take the so-called Road of Bones, which, according to local sources, has not been used for years. Although it technically offers a more direct route, reducing driving time between Yakutsk and Magadan to 31 hours instead of 34, the lack of road services, such as snow clearing and almost no traffic, makes it extremely dangerous in emergencies, especially winter.
A road of bones. The Kolyma Highway in eastern Siberia once delivered tens of thousands of prisoners to the work camps of Stalin's gulag. The ruins of that barbaric era are still visible today, although the elements are slowly erasing them. https://t.co/Jn0EFiJBn3 pic.twitter.com/wc6f05Kigf
- The New York Times (@timestimes) November 22, 2020
Our story comes from the Russian agency RT. Στη Ρωσία, το λογισμικό πλοήγησης της Google είναι λιγότερο δημοφιλές από το Ρωσικό Yandex Maps και το Navigator. Οι δύο αυτές εφαρμογές έχουν περίπου 50 εκατομμύρια μηνιαίους χρήστες. Πολλοί πιστεύουν ότι προσφέρουν πολύ καλύτερη τοπική γνώση από τον τεχνολογικό γίγαντα των USA. In fact, some Twitter users say that this incident serves as further proof why drivers should use "only Yandex Maps in Russia!"
Officially named the Kolyma Highway, the "Bone Road" earned its formidable name as it was built using prisoners in forced labor, and thousands died during its construction during the Soviet era.
The teenagers found themselves on a 420km stretch known as the Old Summer Road, which was deserted. THE region it is known as an extreme challenge for bikers and adventurers, who are looking for four-wheeled thrills.
